Six-pin method(3-2-1 method):

Motion is restricted using clamps and locators.

A three pin base can restrict five motions.
>Rotation about X,Y axes.(4 motions)
>Translation along -ve z-axis (1 motion)
Directions nine, ten and eleven are restricted by a clamping device. (3 motions)

To restrict the movement of the part around the ZZ axis and in direction eight, two more pin type locators are
positioned in a vertical plane.(3 motions)
A single pin locator in vertical plane restricts motion along direction 7.( 1 motion)
So motion in all 12 directions is restricted.

Locating Principles and Devices

Figure: Six-pin base restricts nine directions of movement

Six-pins- restrict nine motions.

Other three are restricted by using a clamp.

This is the most common locating method employed for square or rectangular parts.
Flat bases may also be used, but these should be installed rather than machining into the base.
But pin/button type locators offer more accuracy as the area of contact is less. Moreover, they raise the work
above the base so that chips won’t interrupt the operation.
3-2-1 Locating Principle

3-2-1 principle may be stated as:

“To locate an object fully, place and hold it against three points in a base plane, two points in a
vertical plane, and one point in a plane square with the first two.”

 A work holding rule defining the minimum number of contact points necessary to properly locate a
rectangular part in three planes. The primary datum requires three points, the secondary datum two
points, and the tertiary datum one point.
Six Points Location of a Rectangular Block
Considering the six degree of freedom of a rectangular block as shown in Figure 4.1. It is made to rest on several points
on the jig body. Provide a rest to workpiece on three points on the bottom x-y surface. This will stop the movement
along z-axis, rotation with respect to x-axis and y-axis. Supporting it on the three points is considered as better support
then one point or two points.

Rest the workpiece on two points of side surface (x-z), this will fix the movement of workpiece along y-axis and rotation
with respect to z-axis.

Provide a support at one point of the adjacent surface (y-z) that will fix other remaining free movements. This principle
of location of fixing points on the workpiece is also named as 3-2-1 principle of fixture design as number of points
selected at different faces of the workpiece are 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

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 Locating – principles and methods
Principles or rules of locating in jigs and fixtures
For accurate machining, the workpiece is to be placed and held in correct position and orientation in the
fixture (or jig) which is again appropriately located and fixed with respect to the cutting tool and the
machine tool. It has to be assured that the blank, once fixed or clamped, does not move at all.
Any solid body may have maximum twelve degrees of freedom as indicated in Fig. 8.1.4. By properly
locating, supporting and clamping the blank its all degrees of freedom are to be arrested as typically
shown in Fig. 8.1.5.

Fig. 8.1.4 Possible degrees of freedom of a solid body.

Fig. 8.1.5 Arresting all degrees of freedom of a blank in a fixture.

The three adjacent locating surfaces of the blank (workpiece) are resting against 3, 2 and 1 pins respectively, which
prevent 9 degrees of freedom. The rest three degrees of freedom are arrested by three external forces usually
provided directly by clamping. Some of such forces may be attained by friction.